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Monday, October 01, 2012

http://tribune.com.pk/story/442516/ensuring-equality-transgenders-equal-citizens-of-pakistan-rules-sc/>
> Ensuring equality: Transgenders equal citizens of Pakistan, rules SC
>
> By Qamar Zaman
> Published: September 26, 2012
>
> Supreme Court directs Chief Secretaries to attend to the complaints of
> transgenders.PHOTO: AFP/ FILE
>
> ISLAMABAD:
> The Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that members of the transgender
> community are entitled to every right enjoyed by other citizens.
>
> Transsexuals and eunuchs have finally won recognition following some
> three years of interest shown by the Supreme Court. On Tuesday, a
> three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry
> disposed of the case and ruled that eunuchs were entitled to all the
> rights guaranteed in the Constitution to all citizens including the
> right of inheritance.
>
> The apex court order said that eunuchs should not be deprived of their
> legitimate rights — particularly the right of inheritance of all
> movable and immovable properties and the right to adopt any
> profession.
>
> The court directed that the judgment be forwarded to the chief
> secretaries, as well as the inspectors general of all provinces, for
> their information and to ensure adherence of their fundamental rights.
>
> The issue had surfaced back in 2009 after police arrested some eunuchs
> by raiding a party in Taxila.
>
> Dr Mohammad Aslam Khaki, an Islamic jurist and human rights activist,
> stood up for their rights upon discovery that not a single human
> rights group or non-governmental organisation (NGO) was working for
> the rights of this community in the country.
>
> Consequently, Dr Khaki had filed a petition seeking the establishment
> of a commission to safeguard the rights of the transgender community.
>
> He contended that these people were denied the right of inheritance
> and other fundamental rights that citizens of Pakistan enjoy.
>
> While concluding the proceedings, the bench appreciated the
> appointment of focal persons among the eunuch community in all the
> provinces to represent the community and help address issues being
> faced by them.
>
> The chief justice also directed the interior secretary and provincial
> police officers (PPO) to appoint a focal person in every district and
> tehsil to look after security-related issues of the neglected
> community.
>
> In addition, the court directed all federal and provincial health and
> education secretaries and the chief commissioner of Islamabad to
> coordinate with the representatives of the transgender community in
> order to provide free healthcare and education to them.
>
> In November last year, the court directed the National Database and
> Registration Authority (NADRA) to speed up the process of issuing
> CNICs to eunuchs and later directed the Election Commission to
> register eunuchs as voters as well.
>
> Published in The Express Tribune, September 26th, 2012.